Question

Burn rate is the speed at which a startup business consumes money. My rate was $ 75,000 a month. Four months after my company was set up, I had only a quarter of the starting capital left in the bank.

    Looking for guidance, I went to talk to my friend, Arthur Walworth about my new venture. “Times of great change always bring out the risk-takers,” he said. “And they leave winners and losers. My grandfather invested a lot of money in a project of Thomas Edison’s that ended up in failure. ”

    I was lost in thought at the notion (an idea or belief about something) of a Thomas Edison project ending in failure. Damn. It could happen to anybody! I must continue.

    At that time CD-ROM sales had bombed, so investors were fleeing from the field. I didn’t turn away from mine entirely, but instead linked it to the Internet.

    My plan was to offer consumers descriptions of home-design products by using a special software and let them modify the designs. Then we can enable them to get online professional and constructional help to have their houses built, decorated and furnished according to their own choice.

    To realize my plan I needed investors, so I continued to meet regularly with venture capitalists. One said I had a great idea. But I needed to test it. Get the money somewhere. To get this money from a venture capitalist is going to cost my wife and my children! He turned down my request.

    Wife? Children? I hardly remembered them.

    I was working nonstop --- struggling to turn the key in the lock, to find the right way ahead. The pressure was terrible. It was just at this time that my parents and sisters stepped up. Two hundred thousand dollars. A lot of money to them, invested in this crazy son and brother without a moment’s hesitation. Dad and Mom had driven out from Chicago and seen the passion in my little office and the trouble at home.

   With their help my company survived and has been prospering ever since.

1.When the author’s company started operation, he had _______ .

A. $ 450,000    B. $ 400,000   C.$ 350,000     D. $ 300,000

2.Arthur implies that to start a business in times of change, people have to _______ .

A. rely on famous people all be time

B. invest as much money as possible

C. face the risks of possible failure

D. think about nothing but success

3.The author’s company was engaged in _______

A. furniture design and production

B. online home-design service

C. traditional home designing

D. home decoration business

4.Faced with a very unfavorable market situation, the author decided  _______.

A. to improve his service         B. to start a new business

C. to withdraw his money        D. to reduce his investment

 

Answer 1

【答案】

 

1.B

2.C

3.B

4.A

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲作者新开了一个公司，仅仅四个月的时间就只剩开始投资的四分之一了。于是作者去咨询他的朋友，朋友说做生意，不是成功就是失败，作者很沮丧。后来CD-ROM的销售已经彻底失败了，大家纷纷逃离这个市场，而作者并没完全放弃，而是开始转向网络销售，最后，在家人的帮助下，作者的公司终于得救了。

1.推理判断题。从第一段可知，作者说每月花75，000美元，四个月之后账户里只剩下四分之一的资金，我们用75，000乘以4得到的300，000美元应该是总共用掉的钱．这个数额占总资金的四分之一，计算可得总资金是400，000美元。故选B。 

2.细节理解题。从第1段Arthur所说的话“they leave winners and losers(不是成功就是失败)”可以看出前面所说的事情是有风险的。故选C。 

3.推理判断题。从文章第六段第一句话“．．．offer consumers descriptions of home—design products．．．”以及后面的“．．．have their houses built．decorated and furnished…”可知，选项A、D都只是公司业务的一部分，C项文中没有提及，只有B项才是完整的答案。故选B。 

4.细节理解题。 由文章第五段第二句“I didn’t turn away from mine entirely，but instead linked it to the Internet．”可知，作者没有放弃而是开辟了新的路径，这与A项表述一致。故选A。

考点：考查故事类短文阅读。